Leilani Watershttps://watersleilani.wordpress.com
The publications and projects of Leilani WatersMon, 19 Mar 2018 14:48:45 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngLeilani Watershttps://watersleilani.wordpress.com
Brr…https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/brr/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/brr/#respondMon, 26 Jun 2017 21:11:57 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/brr/Why, hello family! It is that beautiful point of the year again where mothers, fathers, guardians and carers again open their arms wide and welcome their own children into their homes for two uninterrupted weeks of school holidays.

Despite students believing my joking claim that I live at the school, I have left the warm winter of Townsville (hitting a top of 24Degrees today) for the chilly morning and existence of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales (hitting a top of 9degrees today).

In taking this break from my marking and planning it is so nice to forget about the never ending to-do list of everyday life. A holiday at home can’t possibly be a real holiday, can it?

As a second-year teacher it is impossible for me to sleep comfortably through the night without dreaming about assignments and exams that need to be marked, but when I step out of my study, out of my apartment, out of my town, out of my state… I don’t feel quite so out of my mind.

Taking a break is so important, for everyone’s wellbeing. So here I am! Stretching out under my thick doona listening to the young family in the motel room next door getting ready for a hiking trip (complete with the squeaky voice of a little girl who isn’t used to the temperature.)

Me too, girl. Me too.

Sending cool thoughts… and hoping for warm wishes in return.

– Leilani

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]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/brr/feed/0img_0433watersleilaniDelish!https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/delish/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/delish/#respondThu, 13 Apr 2017 05:45:02 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/delish/Something that always confuses me is when people go some place fancy (or foreign) and then refuse to try any of the special cuisine on offer.

Here in Bali the meals range from exotic flavours to the thrill of spice! The desserts are peculiar and special, and the mi goreng is a staple on any menu.

Where, oh where is the fun in ordering the fish and chips or meat lovers pizza? Why do I see people asking for well-done steak or spaghetti bolognese? You have travelled half way around the world to walk into the nearest McDonalds?! No way, that is not how you spend your adventures.

For a while I have been building my tolerance to spice and playing with herbs and reading stupid foodie magazines to actually learn something about flavours and how they complement each other.

It’s an intense world filled with intense flavours, and it’s a damn shame to miss even a mouthful of it!

So bite the bullet (or the frog legs) and try something new!

Bon appetít and Bon voyage!

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]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/delish/feed/0img_9127watersleilaniAre We There Yet?https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/are-we-there-yet/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/are-we-there-yet/#respondMon, 10 Apr 2017 14:20:06 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/?p=1009There is nothing quite so disorienting as waking up on a flight and wondering whether you can close your eyes for another three hours or just perk up and do some carpe diem ‘seizing the day’ type preparation.
For those who might not know what I’m on about, check out my post on plane preparedness.
I imagine myself desperately waking and crying out for some coffee only to realise I’ve just dozed off for a nine minute power nap.
It’s a process that involves me drowsily checking my phone and the painstakingly trying to remember what time I took off and how long the flight was meant to take, I typically give up on the math strain and scroll back through my photos to find the screenshot of my booking that will give me my ETA (estimated time of arrival).
This usually involves me dropping back into the beautiful world of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) before touching down and trying to discreetly wipe the drool from my chin.
Are the other passengers judging me? Well, what do I care? I’m the one who is going to feel better come the waiting time around the luggage carousel.
To sleep or not to sleep… that is not really the question. Always sleep. Every chance you get. Sleep is damn good. DAMN GOOD!!
I have evidently exhausted myself from writing this and will surely wake up to brand new adventures to enjoy and write about.
Well… I can dream can’t I?

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]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/are-we-there-yet/feed/0img_8530watersleilaniC U in the N Thttps://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/c-u-in-the-n-t/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/c-u-in-the-n-t/#respondMon, 10 Apr 2017 07:37:19 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/c-u-in-the-n-t/Darwin, you did it babe!
My weekend has been full of buzzing bars, magical markets, wonderous water holes and particularly perfect people.

Night one saw us dancing up a total storm (which is a fitting metaphor due to this being the end of Darwin’s wet season.)

The next morning was some delicious Laksa (which is another experience entirely and seems to be the fuel for most Darwinians) and a casual stroll through a Saturday market place.

The line for Laksa was intense to say the least.

This was followed by a visit to the Museum and Art Gallery that had some insanely beautiful pieces from around Australia and the globe and heart breaking memories of Cyclone Tracey, 1974.

The day ended perfectly with a delicious dinner at Chow! and some drinks at The Trader Bar.

Sunday was a road trip out to the Spectacular Jumping Crocodiles of the Adelaide River. It inspired me to write one of those ridiculous rhyming children’s books that I tend to do and I also cooed at how cute little crocodile’s arms are when they leap out of the water.

(Trust me though, I know the danger of getting too close too!)

A Sunday Sesh and Lola’s followed and some yummy Indian cuisine.

Final day report: my hair has gone stringy from the fresh water of Litchfield National Park creeks and I’m beginning to think I’m going to miss the sweltering humidity of Darwin. Sigh. We can’t have everything we want, right?

I suppose Bali will have to tide me over until I can hail my next Air North plane and travel to the ‘Top End’.

Bye Darwin.

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]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/c-u-in-the-n-t/feed/0snapseed-5watersleilaniHere I Go Again On My Own.https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/here-i-go-again-on-my-own/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/here-i-go-again-on-my-own/#respondFri, 07 Apr 2017 07:46:20 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/here-i-go-again-on-my-own/Well, not quite on my own.
Sitting on a place from Townsville to Darwin, yes I am on my own.
BUT NOT FOR LONG!
Darwin holds many promising things including delicious food, beautiful scenery, quirky and creative markets and great company!
Dear journalist friend from way back when has been living (it up!) in Darwin for the past three years doing all that fun newspaper stuff that I didn’t quite follow through with.
(If you want to know what that’s something you’ll either have to ask me in person or wait until I’m bored enough to write a blog post detailing the life decision.)
Her Instagram is incredible, her Facebook feed is full of fun, and her Twitter account is actually active. (Although mine technically is my lack of tweeting makes it a bit of a bore.)
Yeah, Judo* the Journalist sure does seem to be living the dream. Or as we joke #darwinningatlife.
*name changed to protect the dear girl’s identity.
And now, as I begin my next travel adventure for 2017, Darwin is the first stop on my Easter Holiday Vacation! Ew… Easter Holiday Vacation sounds pretty lame. I’ll have to come up with a better name… soon.
Come on, Darwin. Time to give it your best shot.
Go ahead! Make my [holi]day.

No matter how many times people might make harmless remarks or say it with their eyes, I am totally sane.
Which is why I have decided to write this blog post on a list of ‘must haves’ in your carry on bag when boarding a plane.
Now, some items are certainly not permitted on aircrafts. So we must respect those rules. But here is a top ten list of things you should zip in before zipping off!
0. Lip balm: You just try sitting in that recycled air after sipping a cup of coffee when your lips begin to dry out. The second you crack a smile at the friendly air hostess your lips are going to crack too. It’s just a fact, the air is drier so you get drier. Keep them lips well cared for so you don’t have to pay for it later on!

0. Eye drops: Same rule with your lips. If you’re a weirdo who sometimes sleeps with their eyes a little bit open (like me, ah!) then make sure you have some eye drops to keep you from feeling like your eyes are going to roll out of your skull to avoid the stiff sandpaper texture.

0. Moisturiser: Skin, glorious skin. It is the air up here, I swear! If your face gets dry or you want to give your arms and legs a little reinvigorating rub moisturiser sure as heck don’t hurt. In fact it helps, moisturising keeps your skin soft, supple and feeling like it won’t be tearing apart every time you stretch.

0. Tissues: Yeah, yeah, I can hear you. “…but, Leilani, they have tissues in the cute little bathrooms on planes.” You are correct, but you don’t want to shuffle all the way up to that little cubby past rows 1-16 just to blow your nose, right? And how many times will you have to squeeze on past the lady sitting in the aisle seat? Having tissues right there is great for a runny nose or an accidental spill.

0. Pen and paper: If you’re a hyperactive nut like me it is important to have something to keep you busy when the flight gets a bit too tedious. You can draw, write, plan for the next meeting, or even play noughts and crosses with your neighbour.

0. Sunglasses: Excluding that moment where you may potentially step out of the aircraft into the blinding sunlight, sunglasses are actually a total saviour for a sneaky nap. If you find that you’re fighting that adenosine build-up and your eyes just won’t stay open, then sunglasses are kind of like a life-saver to drift off without making it super obvious you’ve timed out for a moment. Except the gaping mouth, rest your head against the plane window and make everyone think you’re some tortured poet trying to figure out the magic of the stretching landscape beneath you.

0. Cash: Cha-Ching! You don’t want to be a hungry schlump drooling over the food cart. Sure, it’s expensive as hell, but if you’ve got the cash make a splash and get the vegetarian lasagne (I would definitely recommend).

0. Chewing gum/ toothbrush/ floss: Smack your hand against your forehead if you want, I know chewing gum is obvious. But the other items are also great helpers to deal with morning breath after a 6 hour flight, or to dislodge some food you bought after my previous recommendation. You don’t want to frustrate yourself by trying to dig out some fragment of food from your teeth with your tongue for half the flight. Just bite the bullet and plan ahead of dental care.

0. Hair ties: Ohhh Lordy. Yes. Most of us have that Ye olde faithful around our wrists at all times but never be afraid of having backup. It can save a hair catastrophe or even be a nice gesture to someone else you can see trying to tame their mane.

0. Boarding pass: Ha. Ha. Ha. Yeah. Obviously you won’t get very far without this top ticket item (pun intended, of course.) but if you’re packing your purse before you call the uber better make sure you’ve got your flight details on hand and some photo idea to ensure you get to your final destination hassle free.
There you have it team! My top ten list for a great flying experience. I’d love to hear more suggestions, I’m always looking to improve my survival kit!
Safe flying, friends!

Packing flip flops and sandals into my suitcase for my Darwin/Bali adventure is leaving me dreaming of how fashion forward Shinjuku felt.
Don’t get me wrong! I love the heat and I love the sunshine and dressing appropriately for that weather (I.e.: SUNSCREEN!!)
But there were definitely some desirable items in Japan that had me going slack-jawed.
The shoes would be considered outrageous but I will admit I find them undeniable chic and cool AF!
Oh Goodness! If my budget had have allowed for it I definitely would have bought some of these babies!! Could you imagine me sporting around school with these stompers?
“No running in the halls!” I shout as I strut through the ground floor of the English building like a catwalk.
I can even hear the scoffs and snide remarks from the children who would genuinely not understand fashion… the poor darlings. That is why they need me as a teacher, so I can show them the way!
Ooh, mercy.

Well, for the moment my little piggies will have to be content peeking through the toes of my shoes… hmm… perhaps it’s time for a pedicure?
THAT’S WHAT HOLIDAYS ARE FOR, AMIRITE!?
Hells yeah.
Strut that stuff readers, and enjoy the school holidays.

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]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/walk-this-way/feed/0snapseedwatersleilaniLevelling Up!!https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/levelling-up/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/levelling-up/#respondWed, 05 Apr 2017 04:25:01 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/levelling-up/2017, you sly dog.
Term 1 has come to a successful end with no NR’s, a happy classroom, and a surprisingly relaxed Miss Waters.

Sure, my ‘to do’ list has already begun to grow, but in a way that is one of the things I love about my job.

Throughout this term things that have made me smile include my excitable Year 7’s, my energetic year 8’s, my respectful year 9’s and my hardworking year 11’s.

We had a fantastic two days of professional development on the first Monday and Tuesday of the holidays where we learnt a lot about the brain and the new ‘Art and Science of Teaching’ .

Something that really struck me was the thought of children being ‘hyper’ (super energetic) and ‘hypo’ (a bit unenthused) and how teachers in turn need to become the opposite to either calm students down into routines or get them ready and excited to learn!

I realised that, in my own teaching, I am mostly ‘hyper’… if not always hyper. This could explain the students in my class who although do the work seem just too riled up to follow all of the routines.

It can be exhausting keeping students in at lunch and following up with consequences because they’re just too ‘hyper’… it is a really tough decision for me.

Although it is easy when all students are somewhat subdued and compliant with routines, it makes me frustrated because I want students to get excited and throw up their arms in a cheer.

“Yay! English!”
… Ok, fine. I may be a little bit idealistic, but I believe that it is this vision of students loving classes that drives me to become a better teacher.

Of course, learning and curriculum is priority. Students need to be actually understanding content and practicing skills. However, this doesn’t mean that students can’t be having fun in class!
My resolve to become a better teacher is very general, there are a lot of things that make a teacher ‘good’… or dare I dream… ‘great’.

Step by step I think I am making my way to that goal.

Term 1 is a brick in the long path to finding success for my students and myself.

]]>https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/levelling-up/feed/0img_8493watersleilaniA Resource-full Teacherhttps://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/a-resource-full-teacher/
https://watersleilani.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/a-resource-full-teacher/#respondSun, 26 Mar 2017 07:57:43 +0000http://watersleilani.wordpress.com/?p=979It is no strange thing for me to stand up on a soap box and cheer and jeer over the trials, tribulations, joys and adventures of teaching.

Something that has given me some pleasure over this first term of 2017 is the crafting of my learning walls.

Now, although I pride myself on my enthusiasm and energy in the classroom, I am willing to admit that my students are not always 100% focussed on every word I am saying.

Keeping it colourful, cartoony and creative is my goal. The brighter the better, and where applicable it is awesome to get my students involved in the classroom creations.

It is funny, sometimes as a teacher I hear teenagers using new slang that leaves me feeling old. Terms like ‘on fleek’ make me cringe wondering if I ever spoke such gibberish during my high school years.

But it also opens up opportunities to keep my learning walls relatable and up-to-date with modern trends.

I’m looking forward to this year giving many more opportunities to keep my classroom a fun, bright and overall great place to be!!

The Japanese Party (us four Aussies) navigated our way to The Drunken Clam.
Originally a bar made famous from the animated comedy series ‘Family Guy’, it is also a cosy, little karaoke bar located on the third floor of a building standing on a street corner in Osaka.

What began as a tentative Australian singalong to Panic! At The Disco’s “I write sins not tragedies” transformed into a creative collaboration of cultures in the heated room.

We drank, danced, sung and were merry (just in time for Christmas Eve) as we made friends with people from Japan, Korea, South Africa, Yorkshire (God’s Country), North Carolina, Hawaii, London and many other places!

We chorused together, we howled together, we leapt majestically around the room… it was a perfect night.

The sangria wasn’t half bad either!

There was a wide variety of songs to choose from (although I do request they add ‘500 miles’ by The Proclaimers to their repertoire) and it was easy to sing along with such kind and welcoming staff behind the bar.

If you find yourself in Osaka – rejoice! Because it means you are one step closer to being one of the lucky few of this earth to sing at The Drunken Clam.

Five-stars on trip advisor and a favourite place that I personally cannot wait to return to.